Three former Justice Department officials have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging they were unlawfully fired in retaliation for their work on cases tied to the January 6 Capitol riot.
Among the plaintiffs is Michael Gordon, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Florida, who claims he was abruptly terminated in late June while conducting an interview in his Tampa office. According to the lawsuit, Gordon had received a top-tier “Outstanding” rating on his mid-year performance review just days earlier but was handed a termination letter with no prior notice or stated cause.
Two other officials—Patricia Hartman, a longtime DOJ public affairs specialist in the District of Columbia, and Joseph Tirrell, former head of the DOJ’s Ethics Office—were also dismissed without explanation in a similar fashion. Hartman had led media communications related to Jan. 6 prosecutions from December 2022 to mid-2023. Though Tirrell’s role did not directly involve Capitol riot cases, he, too, was dismissed without a stated reason.
In their Thursday federal complaint, the trio accuses the Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi of violating the Administrative Procedure Act and denying them due process. They also argue that their ability to appeal was effectively blocked because the Merit Systems Protection Board, which would typically review such firings, lacks a quorum due to vacancies under the Trump administration.
The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial in Washington, D.C., and a court order to reinstate them to their former roles.
Gordon claims his firing came the same day as two other assistant U.S. attorneys who had also prosecuted Jan. 6 defendants—suggesting a coordinated purge of officials seen as politically out of step with the administration.
“I knew it had to be my Jan. 6 work,” Gordon told NBC News. “No explanation. No advance warning. No cause.”
Hartman was even more direct. “This, in my mind, amounts to psychological terrorism,” she said. “You are removing people who were good or excellent at their jobs with no explanation.”
The lawsuit is being led by Mark Zaid, a national security attorney who has previously sued the Trump administration, and Abbe Lowell, who has represented high-profile clients including Hunter Biden and Ivanka Trump.
The case has been assigned to Judge Jia Cobb, a Biden appointee with extensive experience overseeing Jan. 6-related prosecutions. Cobb recently dismissed a lawsuit from FBI agents who sought to block the Trump administration from revealing their roles in the Capitol riot investigations.
The lawsuit comes amid a sweeping reshuffle at the DOJ under President Trump’s second term. According to Justice Connection, a network of former department officials, roughly 200 DOJ employees have been terminated since January. A significant portion of those removed reportedly worked on Jan. 6-related matters.
Trump also issued pardons for around 1,500 individuals convicted in connection with the Capitol attack on his first day back in office.
Gordon, reflecting on the firings, expressed deep concern for the rule of law.
“When prosecutors are punished for doing their jobs, we all lose the protection of the law,” he told the Associated Press. “I’ve always fought for the government. Now I’m forced to fight against it.”
“I feel like my firing is a small story,” he added, “but what it means is a much bigger one.”
The DOJ has not yet responded to requests for comment.
